Digital administration of border services: legal, technical and organizational aspects of development

Abstract

The aim of this article is to examine the contemporary legal, technical, and organizational aspects of the development of digital administration of border services. The paper analyzes strategic policy documents concerning the development of integrated border management at both the EU and Ukrainian levels. It characterizes national practices in the digitalization of border services, outlines prospects for their modernization, and identifies the risks and challenges associated with border crossing under the legal regime of martial law. The study emphasizes the leading role of digital technologies in the automated registration of goods and vehicles crossing the customs border of Ukraine, as well as in the related fiscal procedures. It is highlighted that the development of digital platforms in seaports is associated with the concept of “smart ports,” within which ICT, automated data exchange, monitoring systems, analytics, and digital twins are employed for the comprehensive management of port infrastructure, logistics, security, and the forecasting of transportation network loads. Particular attention is paid to the necessity of ensuring redundancy of digital infrastructure, periodic backup of databases, flexible integration of automated and traditional management mechanisms, and proper coordination among all entities involved in integrated border management. The methodological basis of the research is based on methods of analysis and synthesis, systemic and functional approaches, abstraction, and comparative legal analysis. These methods ensured a comprehensive examination of the subject matter and the validity of the conclusions obtained. The main results of the study include the development of a definition of the digital administration of border services, as well as the identification of its characteristic features and components. The conclusions highlight the need for further scholarly research in the areas of personal data protection during cross-border movements, ensuring the interoperability of Ukrainian border e-services with European and global systems, and the specific features of implementing in Ukraine the results of the reform of the European customs system in light of the significant growth of e-commerce volumes and the increasing number of EU standards subject to verification at the border.